The Game of Revenge: The Capitol's Hunger Games
by Rubii-nya-chan99
Summary: aThe Districts have finally found a way to punish the Capitol more than ever, by forcing them to give up 24 of their own to kill eachother in a bloody battle of wits and strength. Nikki, a girl who is haunted by the nightmare of her fathers death, is thrown into the mix with 4 of her closest friends. Time is ticking, Nikki. Let the countdown begin... Rated T for blood and deat
1. Chapter 1: The 'Raffle'

**Hey there! I've been wanting to write this for a while, but never got around to it. HUNGER GAMES FANFICTION! WHOOP WHOOP! For all you that wants to know what this is about, It's the Capitols 'Hunger Games' Or the Districts revenge for all 75 years of Hunger Games. I really enjoyed thinking of this, and I hope you like it!**

Chapter One:  
I was running, running as fast as I possibly could. My feet hit the ground, one after another, like a beat in a song. I gripped the knives by my side and I darted forward. I didn't dare to look behind me. I could smell the blood. It ran like a river down the hill, a fast stream of crimson water. I could feel it in my boots, and it squished with every hurried step I took. Tears welled up in my eyes and I quickly brushed them away, I didn't need something else blocking my vision. I just needed to make it to a tree. A pond. SOMETHING.  
I wanted to wash the blood of my hands, of the blades of my knives, off my clothes and boots. But I couldn't wash the blood off my heart.

I was a killer.

A murderer.

And there was no going back.

Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. So much happens before this. You need to know everything. From the BEGINING of when it all started. Reader, this isn't going to be a little skippity hop down the road. If your faint of heart, and blood makes you queasy, get off this and go do something else. Just be glad you not in my shoes. Go hang with your family, watch some goody two shoes movies about a romantic romance, just STOP. READING. RIGHT NOW.

Alright. You're still hanging with me.  
You might regret that later…..  
My name Nikki Michelle Diane Renee Gomez. Yes, it's a long name, but you have to remember. I come from the Capitol.  
Oh, did I not mention that? My bad.  
Just so that you get a clear picture of me: This is what I look like. I have long brown/red hair and bright blue eyes, and, If I do say so myself, I'm kinda pretty for a 15 year old girl. I've got my dad's long legs, and my moms high cheekbones. Freckles dot the top of my nose and cheeks, and I'm not proper. At all.  
Wonderful. Now you can imagine me, in all the pain, agony, and suffering in perfect detail. Hope your happy.  
Now, back to where my story actually starts.  
My birthday. Capitol reaping day.

Actual Chapter One:

The sun shone through the open window and into my face, where my eyes flashed open. Fear ran though my veins and I gripped the bed post. My heartbeat sped up to about 150, and I tried to slow it down by breathing deeper and slower. It eventually went back to normal, and I stood up and put my face in my hands.  
Is this what we had made the Districts feel? Every year? The heart stopping fear that you would have to face your friends in the ultimate death match? Then the searing reality of actually being picked, and facing your boyfriend or your brother, perhaps even your best friend of the opposite gender.  
It must have been terrifying.  
I heard a soft rapping at the door, and I blinked quickly. "Come in…" I mumbled, pulling my pillow over my stomach.  
The familiar 3 year old walked into the room and sat beside me. "Is sissy okay...?" She said quietly, setting her tiny hand on my knee.  
I nodded. I didn't want to worry Cassie. My dear little sister, who I probably loved more than anything on this earth. "Sissy's okay… what about you, cheesecake?" I poked her tummy and she giggled.  
"Momma says to put something pretty on." She laughed. "We get to go to the big house and watch a raffle!"  
A raffle. So, that's how mom described it to her. A raffle where the winners fight to the death. How clever.  
"Yes, we do. Let's just hope sissy doesn't win…." I mumbled under my breath. I slowly made my way over to my closet and pulled out the only think I knew my mother would approve of. A giant, pink, frilly capitol dress my father had gotten from one of the districts before they rebelled. I carefully slipped off my clothing and put the dress on, feeling the silk drape across my body. I had to admit, it felt really good. I put on a pair of high heels and stepped out, feeling more like a lady than I like to. Cassie gasped and put her hands over her mouth dramatically.  
"You so pretty…." She said, smiling from ear to ear. "Sissy's so gunna win the raffle!"  
I nodded, just to make sure I didn't try to get the wrong idea into her head. 'No. Sissy DOESN'T WANT TO WIN THE RAFFLE.' I wanted to scream. "Sissy wants to stay home, read books, and play with Cassie. Sissy doesn't. Want. To. Win!"  
I started to walk out when Mom came through my doorway, and gasped. "Oh my Goodness Nikki…. You look so beautiful!" She squealed, giving me a huge hug. Even with the heels on, I was still a good 2 inches shorter than her.  
"Thanks mom…." I mumbled, trying to pull out of her grip. I loved Mom too… she… just… was Mom.  
Mom smiled and let me go, looking at her watch. "Lets get you cleaned up!..." She hurried me off into my bathroom and brushed around my face with some sort of stencil brush. She coated my eye lashes in a dark layer of mascara and darkened my eyelids with some sort of brown stuff. She used something to accent my cheek bones and then put something shiny and sticky on my lips. I had half a mind to spit it off, but I didn't. Wish I had…. The stuff didn't come off till FOREVER.  
After all that face stuff, she fumbled with my hair, teasing it up and around. It was a new 'Capitol Fashion' that all the 'cool kids' wore.  
I thought it just made me look like the weather was too humid. I never liked these fashions very much….  
After a good few hours of priming, teasing, stenciling and accenting, my mother took a step back, and looked close to tears. "You look so beautiful….." She said quietly.  
I thought I looked stupid, but, hey, whatever you say mom. Cassie nodded in agreement with her, and I just frowned. "Mmmhm… thanks you guys."  
Mom looked at her watch again and gasped. "LORD FORBID… WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" She squealed, tugging on my hand along with Cassie's. "Let's go girls!"  
We ran down the multiple apartments and houses, down to the town square. Dread filled my stomach as we approached the giant banner. "Welcome to our Hunger Games!" It said, trying to look cheery.  
How can you make a fight to a death cheery? Oh yeah. A big ol' banner. Sure.

Mom helped my find my spot and I could feel the blood rushing through my ears. To be perfectly honest…. I was scared as crap. I stood next to one of my friends, Rosette, and gripped her hand tightly. She looked at me with those calm, stormy grey eyes and smiled. "Its going to be okay, Nikki… There's over 500 of us. We're only picking 24 people. We'll be fine…."  
I nodded slowly and messed with my hair, desperately trying to smooth it down. I finally got some of the knots out when a darker woman stepped up on stage. She grinned and took the microphone through her perfectly manicured nails. "Welcome," She beamed, "To the first Capitol Hunger Games!"  
There was some cheering from behind us, and some crying of parents. I felt my heart tighten, and my legs bend. I was going into my bolting mode, fight or flight, stay and die, or go and die. Whichever.  
I stayed.  
Worst mistake of my life.  
"Get ahold of yourself, Nikki. It's going to be fine…. Like Rosette said. There's over 500 people. You aren't going to be picked." I thought. It calmed me down some, and I wiped my sweaty palms off on my dress. "After this is done, you can play a good old game of hide and go seek with Cassie… and everything will be normal."  
"Well….. What are we waiting for?" The lady announced, fake happiness coating her voice. "Ladies first!"  
You could feel the room go tense as we all waited for the name to be called. The name of the poor girl who would be sent out to die for entertainment. My blood ran cold and I felt my knees start to shake. The brown lady pulled out a name and un-folded it. "Our first lucky lady is…" she coughed and smiled up at the crowd. "Nikki Gomez."  
My head pounded and I felt my knees start to shake violently. My breathing got incredibly shaky and I gulped, feeling faint.  
It was me.  
I was just pulled out of the bucket.  
I was just sentenced to die.

**Okay then! Cliffhanger! I hoped this turned out okay…. I know it was kinda rushed, but I loved this idea a lot. I hoped you liked this story… so far anyway. Personally, I do. Maybe its just an authors thing. Oh well.**

**Anywho, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU IF YOU CLICKED THAT LITTLE BOX DOWN THERE AND REVIEWED FOR ME! And, if you really want to, go ahead and put a character in it, or an idea for an arena.  
Thanks! AND PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW!**

**- Ruby-san**


	2. Chapter 2: Soon to be Dead

**Hey there everyone! Me here, presenting you with the... okay... chapter two of my Hunger Games fanfiction! Its been a little more than a week since I uploaded...and I kinda like this chapter. Its the rest of the reaping... apparently, I have gotten NO reviews at all... UNLIKE MAGGIE. WHO GETS A FREAKIN MILLION REVIEWS EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DA- *coughcough* Sorry. I ranted. Anywhoz... **

**Whats Happened: Nikki got ready for the Hunger Games and was drawn. Wow... not alot to review about.**

**I tried to make this chapter better... but probably failed... Im sorry.**

**Okay. BEHOLD STORY. *points***

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Chapter 2:  
I knew it was wrong.  
All my life, I hated it. The games, arenas, how they had to die for entertainment... We were sick people. Sick, disgusting people with a mindset of power and pain.  
If there was a way for the capital to join the rebellion, I would have.  
But, I didn't do anything. I should have, I know I should have. I should have tried SOMETHING... I should have tried to stop those kids' deaths... But I didn't.  
Perhaps this was Gods way of punishing me.

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Everything went quiet for a few moments, and I felt my heart speed up faster than it ever had. My knees shook violently and I couldn't see straight. Nikki Gomez... That was me... Oh God...  
Rosette looked at me in horror, along with a couple of other girls I knew from school, and a few guys.  
Tears started to form in my eyes, but I blinked them away as soon as they arrived. I couldn't let anyone see me cry... I'd be able to cry as much as I need to later.  
With shaky legs, I took small steps towards the platform. My breaths were short and choppy, and at some point I think my heart stopped beating.  
"Ohhh... there she is!" The announcer grinned and waved me up. "Come Come! I have a spot for you right here. You're Nikki Gomez, right?"  
Oh, how I wanted to say no...  
But, I nodded slowly and wiped my eyes. My blood didn't feel like blood anymore. Each second felt like a million, and Fear had its greedy little hands all over my heart. I thought of multiple ways I could die. Spear through the heart, arrow through the skull, eaten alive, burnt to a crisp, drowning, starvation, dehydration...  
My head spun with idea relating to those types of gruesome deaths, when she called the next name. And the next, and the next...  
"Diana Monroe."  
"Bella-Grace Miller."

"Allison White."  
"Elizabeth Ford."  
"Georgina Smilie."  
And I thought it couldn't get worse than it already had. I knew those girls... Everyone except the Diane girl. Every. One. Of. Them.  
Now, all of us would die but one. Or all of us. In order to live, we had to kill each other...  
The tears welled up in my eyes again as I watched each of them walk up the stairs to the platform with terrified faces. Their legs shook violently with each step they took, and they hid the tears that streamed down thief faces.  
The last of the female tributes names were called, but I didn't hear a single one. The gears in my mind were working to loudly for me to hear anything.  
By the end of this game, all of my best friends would be dead, including me.  
No more parties, or sleep overs at Lizzy's house, (AN: Lizzy is Elizabeth. Yea, I have pet names, nicknames, whatever. You will see Bella for Bella-Grace, Ali for Allison, and... Georgina for Georgina. ^.^) and no more joking around about Jonathan DiAngelo... Because all of us (Or just 4) would be dead. And one could win, or die.  
I wonder who it would be...  
The lady turned to us, her eyes filled with pity for us. For the poor, 12 girls that are going to be thrown into an arena with 12 boys that would most likely kill us all.  
Gee, thanks lady. Lovin' the support."  
Now that we have all the LUCKY female tributes, which have the HONOR of playing in the capital Hunger Games..." She announced, grinning at the crowd. "Let is move on to our make tributes." she pulled another giant, clear bowl filled with scraps of paper. Her hand swam around the bowl until her nail snagged on a small piece of paper near the side. Unfolding it three times, everyone held their breath, their gazes fixed on that one slip of paper.  
She beamed as she read the name, and she looked up at the crowd. "Our first male Hunger Games tribute is... Dominick Raymond!"  
The boy who stood up, I didn't recognize. He had light brown hair that fell a little above his shoulders, nipping the side of his neck. His green eyes glistened as he stepped up onto the platform.  
His sister, or what I thought to be his sister, (but actually turned to be his girlfriend...) grabbed his arm and started to bawl her eyes down. "N-No! DOMI!" She yelped as a few guards pulled her back. She collapsed to her knees and started to sob loudly.  
Her cries rang throughout the assign, bouncing off the walls and causing my ears to ring. I took another look at Dominick and realized I had seen him around town, in school and in the hallways...  
But not in a drawing to fight to the death.  
He kissed the top of her head, and gave her a soft smile. Hesitantly, he walked up the stairs and took his place next to me. His hands shook slightly and both eyes darted around the room nervously.  
After his girlfriend's nerve racking sobs turned into dull cries of pain, the announcer pulled more names out of the bowl.  
Patrick Black.  
Zac Smith.  
Baily Miller.  
Jason Lee.  
Alex Lawls.  
Jonah Morrison.  
Cameron Jones.  
Chris O'Neal.  
Kyle Dinwiddie.  
Frezzi Catrone.  
John Doe. (Yes. I'm dead serious. Poor kid...)  
They all took their places in line, shaking like leaves on a tree.  
The Dark skinned lady canes up and started to clap and grinned from ear to ear. "Ladies and Gentlemen..." She said breathlessly. "All... 24 tributes... Of the final Hunger Games!"  
Everyone broke in to horrible applause. Some parents grinned, glad their children weren't picked. Some broke down crying, tears Streaming down their hidden faces.  
The roar of the crowd was deafening, between the rejoicing and the crying... It was loud. Really, really loud.  
I took a look around at the rest of the tributes. My friends, the people I don't even know...  
24 people. 23, not including myself.  
By the time this was all over... 23 of us would be dead.  
And I knew one of them would be me.

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** And there you have it, folks! Chapter two of this FanFiction I have plagued with. Im so sorry that I stink at writing... I'm just not to talented in it... I just love to do it. Anyway, it would make me so, icredibly happy if you pressed that button right below! *points below* Yeah. That button. . It makes me feel better about myself, and my writing, thus making me more happier (bad grammer) and the world a better place. SAVE THE WORLD AND REVIEW.**

**~Ruby-san**


	3. Chapter 3: Realization

**HELLLLOOOOO And welcome to Chapter 3! :3 I'm so happy I finsihed this, and I will try to get the next chapter up by next Tuesday... Though knowing me, I might not...** **Okay, Now you read. xD**

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Chapter 3:

After the ceremony ended, we were allowed to go back to our homes for an hour, but strictly to pack and tell our goodbyes. Each of us had one of these bulky, muscular guards with us. They were all so quiet, and always seemed to be staring into the back of my skull. He was to stay with me EVERYWHERE. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. He had to even come with me into my bathroom... now THAT was creepy. After I ran back into my room, I took one of my pillows off of my bed and screamed into it, tears running down my face like a miniature river. I let it all out, crying my eyes so dry that after a few minutes, no tears could come out. All that was left was the racking sobs that shook my body, causing the bed to shake from beneath me. The guard stood there with no emotion showing on his face, staring at me. "Stop staring at me like that!" I sobbed, trying my hardest to keep it together. "I-Its creepy…." He didn't reply, but his eyes shifted upwards slightly. I nodded in approval and went back to crying my eyes out. No sooner did I go back to the water works did a small knock come from my door. "S-Sissy?" Cassie said softly. I sniffled and slowly stopped crying. Wiping my face I said in a hoarse voice, "Come in…." Cassie opened the door hesitantly and gave me a small smile. "Are you okay?" She whispered, sitting beside me. I was tempted to tell her I was fine, and to give her a big hug and pretend how happy I was about winning the 'raffle'. I would put her on my knee and sing to her or something, just so she could go to sleep. Then I'd put her back in her room and go back to crying. But I couldn't do that… at least… not now. I shook my head and started to shake. "No…. Sissy isn't okay…." I mumbled, putting my face back in my pillow. "Cassie… Sissy isn't going to come home…." Her eyes went as big as saucers and she whimpered. "Wh-What do you mean?" She stammered, eyes starting to shine with tears. "Sissy's going to die out there, with 22 other people." I took her hands in mine and hugged her as tight as possible. "But I love you, Cassie…. I really do…." She sniffled and buried her head in my shoulder, starting to cry. "Bu-But I don't want sissy to die!" She yelled, grabbing my shirt with her tiny hands. "I WANT SISSY TO STAY HERE!" I held her closer and brushed through her thin blond hair with my fingers. "It's okay, Cassie…" I murmured reassuringly. "It's okay…." Pulling off, she stared into my eyes, looking as serious and a hysterical 3 year old could. "Sissy… I don't want you to die…. Don't die…" She sniffled, tears still streaming down her face. "…. Okay…." I said, disbelieving that was I was saying was even true. "I promise… I'll try to come back…." I hugged her again as she started to cry again. I held her until she fell asleep, and put her back into her room. That's when Mom came in the room, mascara running down her cheeks. "N-Nikki…." She sobbed, pulling into a hug. "Promise me you'll win…. That you'll…." She couldn't finish the sentence she was crying so hard. I started to cry again and hugged her back. For a while we stood there in a sobbing silence. She let go of my shoulders and stared me in the eyes, keeping her mouth shut. Dashing her tears from her eyes, she ran out of my room, leaving me and my guard alone in my room to pack. I dried my own tears and threw a few of my clothes into a small duffle bag I had discovered in my closet. Most of which my father had given to me before he died… After I had put that all together, I threw my duffle bag at the guard and stood before him, a cold hatred burning in my eye. I hated them… I hated US. For what we did, what we didn't do… And I hated the districts too. But most of all, I hated this guy. Doing the capitals dirty work… it was disgusting. "Are you ready to go?" I asked bitterly. He nodded and stood up with my back, and walked out my door. I followed him and left the house quietly and secretly, praying that I wouldn't have another scene followed by more goodbye and tears. There wasn't. I sighed as we walked into a small, hovering train car outside of my door; I felt a pang of sadness hit me like a bullet. I looked through the window and sighed, I was never going to see this place again. Not Mom, or Cassie, or Rosette… Before I could rethink it, the train car zipped away, flying faster than any normal car could. I leaned back and clutched a stuffed animal I had brought. It was in the shape of a honey badger, only instead of black and white, it was blue and purple. I had gotten it when I was around 5 years old, another present from dad when he was away on my birthday. He would send these things in the mail with a card and a couple dollars. The animals were always named, though, each on the tag that was attached to the hind leg. This one's name was Matilda, and it was always my favorite out of the presents. I could always feel my dad's presence whenever I held it… and it comforted me whenever I was scared or frightened. I took it everywhere, in the car, to the store, to my friend's house… And now I was taking it to my death… and I was more scared right then than I ever was before… We zoomed around town, picking up the rest of the capital tributes. First, all of the girls. My heart clenched every time that one of the other girls walked into the train car. I didn't feel as horrible for anyone else, but I could see the terror painted on their faces. I saw Bella come in, then Lizzy, Ali and Georgina. Looking at them, I couldn't help but thinking about how they would die. Who would die first, and who would kill who… it tore me to pieces. They drove us all to a big house on the square, and let us out one by one. Nearly forgetting Matilda, I ran over to Ali and the rest of my friends…. The darker lady stepped out of the car and addressed us. "Hello! My name is Abigail Ferigua. I will be replacing Ceaser Flickerman during the interviews, and hope to get acquainted with you all! I hope we become great friends!" She wore a plastic smile on her face, and her eyes looked as if she was staring off into space. They were a murky kind of blue, like a lake that had too much debris in it. "Now, you all may meet and greet with one another! It's been a pleasure to talk to you all." She went back into the car drove away, still wearing the smile on her face. I turned around and faced Ali, Georgina, Lizzy and Bella, my eyes already swimming with tears. Within seconds, we had engulfed each other in a huge 5 person hug, sobbing into each other's arms. We all knew what this game would do to us… and that we would never see each other all together again. Imagine the most painful thing you can. Multiply it by 6. Add 4. Subtract 2.34. Multiply by 100, and you're still not even close to how much pain and sorrow I felt at that exact moment. We hesitantly let go of each other and wiped our eyes. After a long period of silence, Bella moved her dark blond bangs out of her face and spoke up, "Let's make a promise. No matter what, we won't kill each other… in fact, once we're in the arena, we'll make an alliance." Georgina bit her lip, "Bella…. I don't know if it will work….. wh… what if one of us is killed while we go to the cornucopia?" "Well it better work dangit!" I yelled, gripping my hands in fists, "I'm not going to lose any one of you, at least, I won't be the one who has to decide whether you live or die. We're doing an alliance and you all are going to do it even if it means that I have to force you and torture you into it!" (I meant that half joking, by the way, reader. I would never torture my friends.) Slowly, everyone nodded and their eyes looked a little bit brighter. "Okay…." Ali whimpered, "We'll make a truce. I quickly nipped my thumb, so that a small bead of blood poked out from beneath my skin. They soon did the same, and we pressed all of our thumbs together. We stared at one another in the eyes, and for the first time since this thing began, I saw something that I never would have guessed to felt. I felt hope.

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**Annnnnnddddd FIN! This chapter at the very least... For all you people who read this story and like it, OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I only have one review on this story, and it's from one of my friends. (Maggie-san... You review doesn't count... -.- though I love you anyways...)** **I already have a really cool idea for how this is going to end, and I hope I can get there. I have been really lazy lately, sitting around watching Tokyo Mew Mew and eating, sleeping, and doing Algebra homework. The only reason I got to work today is because I got home late last night (around 2. Had to go to a funeral.) and slept in... i didn't have go to school!** **Alright, you know what to do. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! (Wow. That Rhymed.) This chapter wasn't my best work... I know. But review anyway... DAISUKI!**

**-Ruby-san**


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting Raven

** Well, heres chapter 4! I haven't had any review other than my friends... -.- I hope that changes. Anyways... I know this isn't the best, nor is it very long... but enjoy!**

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After we made our blood ties, we talked for a while... Trying to steer clear of the topic of death.

Once they were having a conversation of their own, I snuck out of their eye sight and went to talk to some other girls. Most were crying their eyes out about how they were never going to see their boyfriends again, or not watch the last episode of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" re-runs before they died. I rolled my eyes and kept walking, humming to myself and trying to appear calm on the outside; where as on the inside... I was as much of a mess as the others.  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small girl with dark black hair sitting alone, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her hair was cropped short around her neck, and choppy bangs. She wore normal clothes and a hat, which tried to hide her dark green eyes. She looked no older than 13, and seemed to be giving off an insecure aura.  
I creeped my way over to her and sat down beside her, smiling. "Hi, I'm Nikki."  
She girl didn't even acknowledge me. She kept on looking down, and then finally said, "Raven."  
"Raven? As in the bird?"  
She rolled her eyes and fixed her bangs. "No, as a tree frog. Yes a bird, idiot."  
I nodded, feeling intrigued and satisfied. This girl wasn't going to be the first to die, I could tell. Raven opened her mouth slightly, as if to tell me something. She closed it quickly and bit her bottom lip, looking on the verge of something.  
"Are you alright?" I asked, concern filling my heart. You could tell this girl was miserable, just by the way she held herself and the way she looked down. I felt so horrible for her... What of she had a sister like Cassie? And a mom and a dad waking for her back home? "You'll see them again..." I murmured. "I can tell your going to win this."  
Her eyes brightened at the idea and she smiled, a small smile that was barely noticeable. "Yeah..."  
"You parents have faith in you."  
She scoffed and sounded vexed, "My parents? Pfft. I'm not going to home to them..." she shifted her weight and made small circles in the ground. "I don't HAVE parents..."  
"Oh... I'm sorry..." I mumbled, "I had no idea."  
Raven rolled her eyes and stood up. "Yeah, no one ever does. They always go, 'Hey look! It's Raven! She spunky daughter of the mayor!" She scoffed and put her hands in her pockets.  
I got confused. "I thought you didn't have any parents..."  
"Oh, I do. If that's what you'd call them. They never pay attention to me... Real parents pay attention to their children. I doubt they even cared my name was called. In my opinion? They were glad. One less mouth to feed..." she shrugged her shoulders and picked a rock on the ground.  
"I'm sure that's not true..." I said re-assuringly. "Your parents are doing the best they can!"  
Raven sneered at me and tossed her hood over her head. "It isn't good enough."  
You could practically feel the misery radiating off of her. "Well... Then you just have you accept it."  
"What do you mean?"  
I took a deep breath. "Well... Your parents are trying the best they can. They love you no matter what... And they're probably miserable right now, worried sick about you. Try and understand where they are coming from. Your they're own flesh and blood... They have to care about you."  
She smiled faintly, and started to walk away. "Thanks... I like you, Nikki." Stuffing her hands in her back pockets, she walked out of my sight.  
I nodded and let out a small sigh. I hate seeing people a sad as she was... She was just flat out pathetic.  
But I totally understood where she was coming from.  
After my fathers death... My mom was withdrawn and sullen. She never talked to me, much less acknowledge my presence. She never looked at Cassie, and stayed hauled up in her room. I started to feel like the mom. Making food for Cassie, doing the laundry, an putting her to bed. the pressure had gotten too much.  
That's how I'd obtained the three scars on my left arm.  
Around that time... I had been reading after another day of being a 'teenage mother.' Cassie had come into my room and asked me to read to her. I agreed, and did exactly what she wanted me too. One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. It was her favorite...  
After I had kissed her goodnight, I went into my moms room to check on her, like I did every so often. She was as still as a rock, the covers moving slightly along with her breaths. It was the same position she had been in this morning. From where I was standing, she looked like he had been in bed all day. Keeping to her self, wallowing in the greif.  
Something snapped in me right then. I don't know what, and I don't know how... But it did. I started to cry and ran downstairs, where I sliced my arms 3 times with the nearest pair of scissors. And at that moment, all I could think about was that pain. The physical pain...  
I regretted it later, And never did it again. I was tempted, sometimes, but I never actually went through with another pair of scissors.

This girl probably felt the same way... Ditched, alone, upset... And my heart ached for her. She knew that only one person was going to come out of this... And she had already come the conclusion that it wasn't going to be her. That's another thing we had in common, only I was going to something she wasn't.  
I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

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**Hope you liked! My sister is making me get off... she needs to do her homework. SHES HAD ALL DAY... AGGGGGGGG- See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting the Mentors

**Hey there! Here's chapter 5. Enjoy! ^.^  
Whats Happened: Nikki has been thrown into the Capitols Hunger Games against her will with her 4 best friends. She met a girl named Raven, who is soon to play a larger role in this story.  
ENJOY!**

HG C5  
Meeting the Mentors

I walked past everyone and stood by Ali, who was talking to a boy with blond hair and dark brown eyes. Mmm. Yummy...

"I guess so!" She laughed, pushing her hair behind her ear.

He put his hands in his pockets, smiling up at her. "I'll see you around then," he said, "Bye, Ali!"

"Bye Patrick."

I went up behind her and smiled. "Who was that?"

"Patrick... Just another kid going to die..." her eyes went darker as if she had just realized, and she bit her lip. "Why did this have to happen?... I don't want to die!..." she whimpered. I saw tears form at the edges of her eyes and I put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Ali... You can win this if you try hard enough." I reassured her.

"I don't have any experience in ANYTHING..." She said shakily. "I can't use a weapon, I can't make anything to hide in, and I'm not strong enough to take them in hand to hand combat." she fell on her rump and pulled her knees to her chest. At this point, she looked more like a scared child than a 15 year old girl... I was about to say something when-

"OKAY EVERYONE! PAIR UP, BOY GIRL!"

I looked over my shoulder and saw the unnaturally ecstatic dark lady... I forget her name. (Quite literally, actually.)

"What?" Someone hissed from behind me. I looked back to see a boy about 16, his bright blue eyes piercing my brain... Even though they weren't looking at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, are you hard of hearing? I said PAIR UP IN PAIRS OF BOY/GIRL!" She yelled the last part so loud, I'm sure my eardrums burst. Still, no one moved. She shut her eyes and sighed, wiping off her hands with the cloth of her pants. "Okay then... I guess we'll choose for you."

She brought out a hat with slips of paper on it. "As you all know, when the districts were under the control of the Capitol," Was that... Longing in her voice?... "They used to send two tributes from each district. One boy and one girl. As you can see... We don't have a specific district that we sent you all from. You all came from the Capitol! So, in order to relive the full reality of the Hunger Games, we must pair you up in pairs of boy and girl. Girls, come on up. You'll be picking your partners!"

No one moved.

She sighed again. "Come now! We don't have all day!"

We all nodded and ran up beside her, getting into a line. A girl with pretty blond hair and green eyes stepped up, plucking a slip of paper from the hat. She scowled at the name and said aloud, "Frezzie Catrone."

A boy with light Ginger hair stepped forward and avoided eye contact with anyone. The girl, (Who I learned later was named Lucy) and Frezzie stepped off to the side. The next girl stepped up. Then the next, and the next and the next and the next, each picking a different guy.

Raven stood up next the woman and took a deep breath. Her hand slipped into the hat and she bit her lip a she took out the paper. A confused look entered her eyes and she frowned. "Wasn't I supposed to get a boy?..."

"Yes... Why?" the woman inquired.  
Raven showed her the piece of paper and frown. "Nikki Gomez?..."

I suddenly went stiff and sighed, the walked over to the stand. My ORIGINAL plan was to keep out of sight of everyone and not make an impression. Then, I'd hide in the woods and wait for everyone to die. Along with Ali, Georgina, Bella and Lizzy. But now my name was making a scene... Dang.

I slowly went up the steps and looked down, hoping to hide my face. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay... Fine. You two can be partners... And... You two boy," she pointed at the last two boys that stood at the other side of her, "You can be partners. Okay. Is everyone happy and does everyone have a partner?"

Everyone nodded, but some looked very... Not happy. At all...

She smiled and lined us all up, so our partners stood behind us. "Now, we get to find your mentors! You all get two, a boy and a girl." a whole group of people, ranging from ages 30-60 or so came out into the clearing. "These will be your mentors; they will guide you through the bloodbath of the hunger games. Each of you has a price if paper at your feet. It has a number. If your mentors will turn around... You will see they have number in their hands."

"Why'd you have them turn around then?..." Asked a smaller boy from the back.

"Because. I can…." She rolled her eyes as if this was a dumb question and nodded to the rest of us. "Okay. Go find your mentors!"

Suddenly, a whole mob of the rest of the kids went around and tried to find their mentors. I stood by Raven, who has our piece of paper. "What does it say?..."

She looked at the number and sighed. "4."

We both nodded and I craned my head to try and find some mentors that weren't talking to any children. There was one group of two people, one furiously playing with a lighter and another looking quite normal. I touched Raven's shoulder lightly and the both of us went over to where they were. "Hi… what number are you guys?"

"We are number four." They said simultaneously. "And you are?"

"I'm Raven, and this is Nikki." Raven stuttered, hiding her face under her mass of black hair. She flipped her hood on over her head and shoved her hands in her pockets. I could tell she probably wasn't very comfortable in group settings… though she was perfectly normal when she was talking to me one on one. A bit sarcastic, perhaps, but normal.

The man playing with the lighter looked up and clicked the lighter off, looking up at us. "Ah-ha, a group of girls eh?... My name is Chester. This is Francesca. I guess we're going to be your mentors. Try to teach you how to stay alive and not die…. And stuff…." He flipped up the lighter again and stared at the flame, looking mesmerized.

Francesca sighed. "He knows I don't like my name…." She turned to us and smiled, her dark hair framing her face. She has dark, warm brown eyes and was…. Actually quite beautiful. "You two can call me Fran… It's what I've gone by since I was but only a child!" She laughed softly. "You said your names were Raven and Nikki?"

I nodded, already liking this woman. "Yea… so. How did you become a mentor for us?"

She shrugged and sat down on the cobblestone. "I was on the team that designed the Hunger Games some years ago… They had tracked me down and asked me to be a mentor for you all. I never really thought the districts would overtake us like they did… I thought the capitol would always be in control. It's all because of that stupid Kati's…. Her and that… Peeta boy. We should have killed them off when we could… could have saved your innocent lives in all this." She grit her teeth and popped her neck.

Alright. Maybe I wouldn't like this woman as much as I thought I would. "Hey! Did you think the districts weren't innocent? What about Rue and everyone else in the 74th Hunger Games? Were they just lives we could afford to lose?"

She stiffened and looked up at me. "No. Their games were a punishment for trying to rebel first. Everything was going fine until the stupid star crossed lovers-"

"Fran!" Chester shouted, dropping the lighter. "Stop your blabbing! We don't CARE about how you feel on President Katniss Everdeen. Keep your opinion to yourself…."

She scowled and stood back up, brushing off the dirt from her legs. "Sorry. I kind of get into that subject… no matter. What Chester and I are here for is to make sure at least… one of you survives.

Wow… that was reassuring. I cleared my throat and pushed my hair out of my face. "I'll take that to heart…" I grumbled.

The four of us walked toward the train [That just appeared, mind you. No idea how… just snuck up on us I guess.] "You already said your goodbyes, right?" Chester asked.

The both of us nodded and Raven shrugged. "I guess we can go then!"

We made it onto the train car, where everything was just as Katniss had described earlier on in the year. It was plush, posh, and there were two beds up by the wall. The train car was about as big as my whole house…. It didn't look this big from the outside.

I sat down on the bed and pushed my duffle bag underneath it, and then pulled out a book that my father had given to me. I always tended to read it when I was nervous an anxious about something. The title was 'Inkheart', and it was about a girl named Meggie and her father Mo who could read things off of paper and into real life. They could also read things INTO books if they wished… It was my favorite book of all time.

And then, Fran screamed. A blood curdling scream that about ripped the flesh out of my eardrums. I dropped my book onto my lap and covered my ears. Raven did the same, but the old man Chester just lit a cigarette. "Put the book away!"

Odd request, I'll grant him that, but as soon as I did the screaming stopped. Fran gained her composure back and went a dark red. "Sorry…"

"What was THAT?" Raven hissed, pulling her hood down. "I think you woke up China…."

Old saying, even though there was no such thing as China anymore. It was destroyed around the same time as North America. There was a new country there, too. Nakita… but Panem never talked to them. We had a war and- well, I'm not going to bore you with any details.

Fran went a dark red and messed with the hem of her pants. "Well, um…"

"My dears, our friend Fran here has an abnormal fear of books or anything printed on a page. Newspapers, Magazines, you name it, she hates it." Chester puffed out a whiff of smoke and sat back in a chair. Fran went even darker and groaned.

Raven rolled her eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots…" She mumbled under her breath, sitting on her own bed. She looked up at me and gave me a small smile. "We are so screwed…"

I nodded and smiled back, random thoughts running through my head. I was trying to focus on the important things, but everything kept on flashing back to Cassie and mom…and my promise to try and win. I took another look at my mentors, who would probably help, but not very much. Chester was probably a pyromaniac, and Fran was bookaphobic… All I knew right now was that they were crazy.

Then there was Raven. She was smart, but withdrawn and didn't trust people. Once we got out on the field, she would probably stab me in the back with my own knife.

I laughed quietly and leaned backwards, putting my hands behind my head. I was so doomed…..

**Wow! This chapter was kind of long. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while… you see, my family has been having some problems and between all that and writing, well, I haven't gotten a lot down. XD I hoped you like this chapter! Again, uneventfull, but yet full of quotes. ^.^ My only commenters have been people I've known…. So please! Press that little box down there and comment! It will keep me motivated… Teehee! Byezers and see you in the next chapter!**

**~Ruby-san**


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting Dominick

**Good December everyone! I hope you're ready for Christmas! :3 I sure am. Here's chapter 6 of my pitiful FanFiciton. ^.^ Enjoy!**

I woke up the next morning oddly refreshed. I stretched and sat on the edge of my bed. Last night, about an hour after we got on, we arrived at the building we were to be staying at for the next five days. At least, that is what was typical. (I know that what usually happened was that the districts took a 2 night trip, but remember... we LIVE in the Capitol.)  
Upon our arrival, three Avoxes met us by the door and smiled, not showing their teeth, I had always wondered what they did to Avoxes to make sure they didn't speak again. I had heard a lot of rumors. The most REALISTIC one of the bunch was that the head of the Capitol cut out their vocal chords and somehow impaired them so that they couldn't whisper, either. The poor people... What had they ever done to get their voices stolen from them?  
I stretched again and threw a pillow at Raven, who snored away near the window. "Raven! Up!"  
"Whatdoyawantmumziesimmasleep ingshaddupandgoaway..."  
I rolled my eyes and this time, threw a fluffy slipper in her direction. "BREAKFAST TIME!"  
Her eyes jerked open and she smiled, her green eyes still dim with exhaustion. "Pancakes?" I nodded and she grins and rushed out of the room in her pajamas. The girl was 13, but she could move pretty fast.  
I rolled my eyes and decided to shower before I went out. I didn't want to look like a TOTAL slob. Which, of course, I am, bit other people didn't have to know that, right? Right!  
I stepped into the bathroom and slipped off my clothes, and turned on the water. Within seconds, the room started to steam and I cracked open the door. I placed my foot in the shower and then jerked back, wincing. Dang... That water was HOT.  
I tried to turn the water down, but each time got burned in a different place on each of my arms and legs. Finally, I stomped on the ground and ran my fingers through my dry hair.  
The water stopped.  
I looked up from the floor and grinned. I stomped again.  
The water turned back on.  
My giggles echoed in the vast bathroom, but I couldn't help it. I started to jump around, causing the water to turn on and off.  
This was way too much fun for my own good. I slowed down and pushed my hair behind my ear, still smiling, "That was odd..."  
I nodded in the mirror, "Indeed it was, my friend."  
I think I hung around Cassie too much. I walked into the shower, and turned the water on to a reasonable temperature. Our bathroom at home had been modern and better-than-average, but it was dirt on the mayor's shoe compared to this one. This bathroom was about the size of my bedroom, and the shower was as big as a hot tub. Jets lined the bottom and the top, and I counted 5 shower heads. Near the curtain, there was wide variety of body scrubs, lotions, face washes, shampoo's, shower gel, conditioner's, soap... I could go on, but I think you get the point. If you don't… The point was that there was a butt load of body caring items in this box."  
I sighed and grabbed a bottle that read: 'Strawberry blast'. "Wonder what this does..." I wondered, putting a droplet on my hand. Apparently, it was a lotion that smelled... Like strawberries. Duh.  
I smiled and took a bottle of hair solution, dumping it up on my head. I let it sit for a while, and sat down on the bench. Yup, bench in a shower. Coolest thing ever.  
I still couldn't believe how beautiful it was here, right in the center of the Capitol. I was used to some pretty luxurious stuff, but nothing like this. We were poor, for a Capitol family... But we made it by alright.  
I smiled to myself and washed all the hair product from my hair, then scrubbed my body down with body scrub. I leaned backwards and run my fingers through my silky smooth hair.  
I felt something give way from under my weight and I was suddenly bombarded with giant streams of flaming hot water in my direction. I screeched and it hit my thigh and jumped 3 feet in the air. Clutching my thigh, I leaned up against the wall, panting out of sheer surprise. Then another jet came at me. And another. By the time I had finally realized I hit a jet button when I leaned back, and turned it off, all of my legs and part of my stomach was bright red.  
I fell to the tile floor of the bathroom and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to stop my racing heartbeat. "Stupid showers..." I grumbled, standing back up. I slid out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my bare body. Shivering, I dried my hair and the rest of my body, then ripped a hairbrush though my hair. I sighed and put my clothes on, then came out of the bathroom to find Raven asleep again. "RAVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNN!" I screeched, holding back laughter. "TIME TO GET UP!"  
Raven jumped up, her green eyes wide. "WHAT THE HEC-"  
"Op! No time for that..." I laughed, pulling her out of bed. "It's a big big big big day!"  
"Leggo!" she squirmed in protest, then finally gave up and I dragged her out of the room. "Okay. Fine. Where are we going?"  
"Breakfast, silly!"  
"Breakfast?"  
"Breakfast!"  
She sighed as we stopped in front of the kitchen, and both of our eyes went wide. When we had gotten here the night before, we had gone straight to bed. Neither of us had gotten the change to see the kitchen/dining room.  
There was a large glass table, surrounded by 4 blue chairs, hollowed out in the middle. Foods and flowers decorated the entire table top, the flowers so bright (almost too bright) and the foods looking so rich and delicious. Raven jumped up and ran right to the table, gobbling down as much food as she could fit into her teenage mouth. I quickly followed and soon, both of us had near-exploding tummies. Though I had lived in the capitol all my life, and I had grown used to the rich food it had to offer, the food I had just eaten was exceptionally different, and I felt sick. "Gn….."  
"You feel sick too?" Raven asked, keeping her eyes closed. I nodded and she sighed, feeling her stomach. "This food will be the end of me…."

We both managed a weak laugh and I stood up, rolling my neck around my shoulders." I'm going to go and get my book…." I mumbled, lumbering out of the kitchen.

"Good luck making it back!" Raven called from behind me. I rolled my eyes and smiled looking up at the ceiling. I took a few more steps and then bumped into something. Hard.

I fell down onto the ground, hitting my head slightly on the wall behind me. "Ouch!" I squealed in surprise, rubbing the back of my neck. "That hurt!"

"Sorry!"

I looked up and saw the Dominick boy that had the scene at the reaping. He looked at me with frantic eyes and brushed his dark hair out of his face. "Sorry…. I didn't look where I was going….." He stood up and held out a hand for me. I hesitated before taking it, and then stood up, brushing off my clothes.

"It's no big deal. I wasn't looking either," I smiled weakly; "I'm Nikki."

You may be wondering why we ran into each other. Well, I know that in the past games, they had kept all of the teams of tributes in different parts of the building that we are in. For these games, however, they kept all of us in the same area. I think they did it because they want us to grow close, and then be forced to kill each other. Maybe they just didn't want us all separated. Maybe they were renovating the rooms. Who knows...?

He nodded shyly and smiled. "Dominick… You were the girl that was partnered with the little Goth, right?"

I suddenly felt defensive. "She's not Goth she's… an introvert. And shy… and dresses not exactly in neon colors but she's not Goth!"

He raised up his hands and chuckled. "Sorry! I didn't mean anything by it," He laughed and put his hands behind his head. "How are you coping with this crap?"

I rolled my eyes and felt a faint blush rise to my cheeks, "Alright, I guess. I don't think the shock has settled in yet."

"Me neither…" He stated flatly, letting out a huge sigh. "My girlfriend… she… I don't know how she's going to come to terms with this. I was the closest thing she had to family."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, suddenly curious.

He looked at me warily and sat down on the nearest chair. This boy reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place my finger on whom. "She lived with me because her parents were in a massacre after the districts rebelled. We were just friends at the time, best friends, actually. She's been living with me ever since."

I felt a pang of pity and sat down beside me. "Oh, I'm sorry…."

"It wasn't my problem."

I nodded and stood back up. "I probably should be going…." I said, pushing my hair behind my ear. "It was nice to meet you Dominick. I hope you win this thing."

He did the same and put his hands in his pockets. "Same to you… see ya." He walked out of sight, his head down.

I walked to Raven and I's room, suddenly feeling extremely tired. I flopped down on the bed and grabbed a pillow to wrap around my head. **(A/N: Heh… Rhyme… 0.0)** without even knowing it, I soon slipped into unconsciousness.

I was in my dream. Actually it was more of a memory… A memory of my father's death.

I was in the car with my father, driving down to the store to get some more milk. I looked about 12 years old, and my father was as young as he ever looked. We had to pull over at the side of the rode because had gotten a flat tire running over a piece of glass.

That's when it all started.

Out of nowhere, 3 thugs came out from an alley way with a metal chord in their hands. They had corned my father up against a brick wall and, though I couldn't hear their conversation, seemed to be threating them. Me, being the coward that I was, stayed in the car, hiding behind the seat. The men struck my father across the face and then hit him multiple times all over his body. Then they pulled him away from the wall and wrapped the chord around his neck. One of them leaned over and whispered something in my father's ear, and his reaction was horrifying. Tears filled his eyes as he grew pale.

Then they tighted the chord that was already around his neck. Almost instantaneously, his neck was broken and sliced in multiple places.

My father was dead within the minute.

I was horrified, tears cascading down my cheeks. I peeked over the seat to see, against all odds, if my beloved father was still alive. One of the men stopped me and grinned, pointing at the car and mouthing something to his friends. My heart skipped a beat as they walked menacingly towards the car, the chord (covered in my father's blood, I might add) in their hands. I jumped out of our red Honda van and darted across the road as fast as my feet could carry me.

That was where the memory stopped and the nightmare started. The three men caught up with me and forced me to the ground. Everything was still muted, so I couldn't understand a single word that they were saying. Still, fear and adrenaline fueled all of my body. I tried to wiggle out of their grasp, but their hands gripped me too tightly. They wrapped the chord around my neck and pulled hard.

Then I died.  
_

**Voilà! There is chapter 6, everyone. With a bit of darkness in it. I hope you don't think I'm too weird. X3 I know that I haven't updated in a while, and I am trying to set up a schedule. I'm thinking every Thursday, for all you people that care. (Which aren't many…) **

**Anyway, I hoped you like this chapter! Last time I posted a chapter, within 5 hours I had 64 views and 2 comments! To those two people that commented…. I freaked out and screamed, running around my house. No joke. I LOVE YOU. And to all those people that viewed, YIPPEEEEEEEEEEE~!**

**I hope that my story can actually turn out pretty well, and not one of those stories that never get any views what-so-ever. Maybe like my friend Magetha's stories that always seem to get reviews faster than the speed of light. -.- Lucky girl. *sigh* **

_**SO NOW FOR MY POINT: Thank you so much for reading this, and review please! Also, I am looking for a beta reader to proof read all of my chapters before I put them up. I had one, but she stopped about a day after starting. If you are interested, please leave a comment below! If you're not interested, please, still comment! Thank you!**_

**-Ruby-san **


	7. Chapter 7: Prep (Part Uno)

**Hey guys! I know its been forever since I updated, but I've been busy with homework, Girl Scouts, Band and Choir... So... School. xD Well, here you go! Enjoy chapter 7!**

* * *

I woke up panting, my face read and damp with tears. I could barely the silent sobs that racked my body. My father... Dead. It was a reoccurring nightmare that had plagued my mind for the last week.

I shakily brought my knees to me chest and took deep breaths, eventually calming down. My body slowly stopped shaking and I could finally think straight. I opened my eyes and looked out the window. The sight had passed noon point, but was still high in the sky. Thank Goodness... I took a few hesitant steps towards my dresser and washed my face again, then getting re-dressed. I was beginning to forget what happened at the end of my dreams, but since the dream always seemed to happen every night, I always go a fresh memory when I woke up. I usually scream in my dreams, so I was surprised when no one came into my room this morning. Suddenly, I felt a giant wave of fear sweep over me. What if I got this nightmare in the middle of the Hunger Games? Of course, screaming would follow any type of nightmare I had. The rest of the tributes could easily find me and kill me…

I always seemed to the short end of the stick. My father was murdered, I scream in my nightmares, and I was put into a horrible killing game of murder. Can't get any better than this, eh?

I finally finished getting ready when I heard another pounding on my door. "NIKKI!" Screeched a voice. "YOU'RE LATE FOR PREP! GOD, DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU?! YOUR GOING TO MAKE ALL MY IDEA'S GO TO WASTE IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR SLEEPING BUTT OUT OF THERE SOON!"

"Fran!" I yelled back. "I'm up!"

Her screaming died suddenly and I could hear a smile in her voice. "Oh, alright! We'll be out in five minutes, will you? You and Raven are going to go to your prep team! Tonight is when you'll be showed to the presidents!"

"Okie dokie…" I grumbled, pulling on a shirt. I knew I surprised her when I jumped out of my room a minute later, "I'm here…"

Fran smiled at me and Raven stood next to her, dressed in her normal attire. "Okay girls, let's go and get you pretty!" She gave us a large grin and grabbed both of our hands, pulling us to the other side of the building.

We soon arrived to where we were being dragged, where Fran no sooner threw us in with absolutely no hesitation. I squealed as I fell onto the metal floor, rubbing my tailbone. "Ow…" I mumbled, not amused. Raven snickered at me from a standing position. I rolled my eyes and stood up. Looking around, I saw about 25 or so rooms with nurses standing outside of them, each of their skin tones a different color than the next. Raven and I walked up to a desk nearby, where a young woman who looked no older than 30 sat, plucking her eyebrows.

She suddenly noticed us and forced a large grin onto her face. "Oh hello there, girls… What do you need?"

Raven and I both looked at each other awkwardly, waiting for some explanation to spurt forth from the other person's mouth. Raven cleared her throat. "Uh… I'm Raven. This is Nikki."

I waved and the woman nodded. "Oh yes, tributes! We've been waiting for you, ya know." She smirked and pointed to two separate rooms. "Nikki, you will be in room 11. Raven in room 4. Good luck you two!" The both of us nodded and we headed into our rooms.

I slowly opened the door to mine and smiled at the few people inside. One woman was African-American, her eyes a bright blue. Her hair was mostly natural, with a few gold streaks in it. Two girls were identical twins, and the only way I could tell them apart was that one was in a green outfit and one in a red. Last, there was a man dressed in blue, his skin shade to match. "U-uh… hello…. I'm Nikki and I—"

One of the twins squealed and ran over to me, her sister following suit. "Oh my gosh, it's Nikki! We've been waiting for you, like, FOREVERRRRRRRRRR!" She pointed to herself and smiled, "I'm Georgetta and this is Loretta! We're twins!"

Okay, so Loretta was in the red, and vice versa. I would have to remember that…. I could already tell these girls were airheads. Annoying, yes… but they were like those little puppies that ran into things and you couldn't help but laugh.

"This girl is so adorbz, Georgetta!" Loretta yelled, pulling me out into the middle of the floor, "Here! Put this on!"

Georgetta handed me a light blue silk robe, and I awkwardly stripped down and changed into it. The silk was soft and smooth on my skin, and I smiled.

The African woman walked up to me and set a hand on my shoulder, "Hello…. I'm Maya. I'll be helping you get ready…" her voice was soft and smooth, almost serene. "You said your name was Nikki? You are partners with Raven, are you not?"

I nodded, "Yes mam…."

She laughed at my formalness and tussled my hair, "Come on now… let's get you ready. Claude? Go get the wax, please…."

The man in the blue moved swiftly out of the room and into another door to the left of where I was, quickly returning with a few sheets of paper covered in sticky yellow goo. Maya took a few and set them on my legs, having me sit down prior to this. The wax was hot, but cooled quickly in the cold room.

Then without hesitation, she ripped them off. I bit my lip and winced, the pain a sudden stab. My skin was red and raw, and I shuddered. "Ouch…." I mumbled, lightly touching the ever-growing-darker patch of skin.

"Sorry honey…" Maya said, smiling, "We kind of have to take all the hair off of you….."

I nodded and went tense braced myself for more pain. Not long after, I felt more and more of my hair being ripped off of my body, strip after strip.

Eventually though, they finished taking all the hair off of my legs, arms, stomach, back, armpits… I was so sore I really just wanted to sleep. But nooo…. Gosh, I had to do about a million more freaking things with my prep team. Georgetta and Loretta continued to dot over me, and talking about some Capitol by the name of Gerry Marvalo…

"He's just so freaking HOT!" Georgetta squealed, putting some oil on my legs, while her sister soaked my arms with some cold sticky stuff.

Loretta rapidly shook her head in agreement, and pulled my cheeks, "You're so adorable…." She giggled. Maya stood back and sighed, rolling her eyes.

After I had finished being waxed, soaked, and oiled down like a machine… They plucked my eyebrows, (Which I had never even thought of doing before today… apparently, they were like giant raccoons on my face [According to Loretta]); they also did something to my eyelashes to make them longer…

They continued to pluck, pull, and stretch my face for a few hours. They did not allow me a mirror, saying that they wanted me to see the finish product when they were all done. I rolled my eyes and agreed, sighing.

We took a 30 minute break, which consisted of me drinking about 3 cups of hot chocolate, and then they forced me down into another chair. They started to trim and polish my nails, constantly commenting on how horrible it was to chew your nails, (a bad habit I have.) I have no idea how they did it, but by the end of THIS session, my nails were long and perfectly cut. Same with my toes. I wasn't allowed to walk for another 30 minutes, though… The polish apparently had to dry and walking was what always messed it up.

The twins let me go after my 30 minutes were up, and pushed me into a different room, "Here! Now you get to pick out something to wear!" Both of them said simultaneously. They giggle and closed the door, and I heard the click of a lock.

I glanced around and saw Maya and the other guy smiling at me. "Alright dear," Maya said, "We're here to pick out something for you."

* * *

**Okay. This is part one of 'Prep'. I'll post part two when I finish it. I hope you liked it! **

**By the way, did you hear about the shooting in Conneticut? *whimpers* taht was so horrible... I almost felt like crying. I did, actully. My hearts go out to those affected. *does the Hunger Games sign, kissing her fingers***

**Also, I started up a Maximum Ride Fanfiction, along with Ouran High School Host Club one, (For all you anime freaks.) :3 Oh well, I hope you like this! Please review, re-read, and share! I love all of you guys that read this. **

**Jaa ne!**

P.S. Happy 2012! ;) I really don't think the world is going to end today, but hey. One last chapter if it does... oh well. Its a beautiful day... No sign of the sun burning up.


	8. Chapter 8: Prep: (Part TWODOS!)

**OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSHHHHHHHHH- It's midnight... welll... 12:23 a.m. as I'm typing this. ITS FRIGGIN CHRISTMAS! YESSSSS! :D**

**Enjoy this short little chapter.**

**Muahaha.**

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I glanced around and saw Maya and the other guy smiling at me. "Alright dear," Maya said, "We're here to pick out something for you."

I nodded slightly and walked up to Maya, "What exactly are we going to be picking out for me?..." I asked, taking a quick look at all the dresses near the back of the room, "Dress or… casual?"

"Dress, naturally… I'm afraid that you and raven are going to have to match… which is going to be quite the challenge. Your appearance contrasts hers…"

"What do you mean by that?" I inquired.

"Well…" She said cautiously, "You have lighter hair, while hers is much darker. Her eyes are green, while yours are blue. It's going to be difficult to find a style that fits both of you."

The man beside Maya, Claude I think was his name, smiled and nodded, edging closer to the dark skinned woman before me. "Which color do you believe would fit them well? Do we have a theme planned?"

She shook her head, "I believe that we are just going to wing it here… I would like for the girls to look as innocent and… young as possible. Maybe almost… serene. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Claude nodded and grinned, "Of course…" He ran off to the rack that held the majority of the dresses that they had planned, "Are we going for… fictional beauty?"

Maya shook her head, "No. I want them to look like they came out of a story book… all the while looking like themselves." She smiled, "That is a brilliant idea…. I can't believe I came up with that!" She let out a deep breath, "And I have just the dresses for them…" She ran over to where Claude was standing and flipped through the dresses, "Where is it… where is it…"

I stood awkwardly around for a while, praying that they hadn't forgotten me. Whistling to myself the majority of the time, I spun around in a spinney chair I had found in the corner. Oh, how many ways could I find to distract myself…

After a while of occupying myself in different ways, my two personal helpers pulled me into a dressing room. "We need you too dress into a few of these dresses, and tell us which fit best, where they squeeze or sag… and which one you like the best."

I nodded as the door swung shut, and I quickly turned the lock. Taking a deep breath, I look glanced at the 15 or so dresses I had to try on.

One after one, I did so. The first dress was absolutely hideous on me… though I must say that I look good in black. Second dress was no better, and was extremely revealing in places that I didn't want it to be. The same types of problems happened I the rest of the dresses. Number 8 clung to my back for dear life, threating to fall off at any moment. Number 4 squeezed my chest and my butt, so that one was a no-go, and the problems rolled on did the dresses.

Finally, I got to the last one. I had high hopes for this one, and prayed that it would actually look alright on me. I didn't even look at the dress before I pulled it on myself.

In simple, human words…. It was the most epic-amazing-incredible-beautiful-splendid-didIalreadysayEPIC-prettiest dress I had ever seen in my life.

It was almost strapless, tied around my neck with only a thin blue ribbon. The dress itself was white and blue, white being the base color and blue fluttering around the edges of it. Beautiful patterns laced the edges and bottom, and some beautiful gold trimming was the icing on the cake. The figure of the dress was perfect for me, and I beamed. I felt like I was on one of those lame wedding shows… 'Say Yes to the Dress' I believe was the name of one that would fit into this category.

Yes, I was indescribably happy to find the dress that would sway the Districts to either let me live or die… Hm…

I still loved the dress.

I walked out of the dressing room, trying (But utterly failing) not to look as happy as I felt about his dress. Maya gasped and put a hand to her mouth, her jaw falling down. "That… looks absolutely beautiful!" She said breathlessly, smiling wider then I thought was possible. "It's amazing!"

Claude nodded in agreement and I spun for them, even though they didn't ask. Both of them clapped in bewilderment, and Maya did the finishing touches on the dress. She then took me into yet ANOTHER ROOM, and grabbed an eyeliner pencil and sequins.

The dress had a type of shine to it, so Maya decided to play off of that and make me look like a fairy tale character. She quickly outlined my eyes with incredible speed, and then added some sparkly mascara to my eye lashes. The put the sequins around the edges of my eyes, making them look like still teardrops. She placed some light makeup on my face and put three sets of earrings on my ears.

Don't worry reader. She used clip on ones, since my ears are not pierced. MAGNETIC clip ons, amazingly enough.

When she finished with that, she took a  
curling wand and started to curl my hair into beautiful ringlets, and letting them skim my shoulder blades. My side bangs were swept to the side, and my hair seemed to glow in the light.

After they had done prepping, they let me have a full view of myself in a mirror.

Let me tell you this… I looked as if I had walked out of a story book. I looked like the blue fairy, only blue and white. And 50 times more awesome.

Maya smiled at me and I giggled softly. I couldn't help it, I just had to. It was one of those moments that make you flash back to your childhood where all you wanted to be was a princess. And in this moment… I couldn't think of anyone else but my little sister Cassie. What would she think when she saw her older sister in such a pretty costume?

What would she think when she saw me brutally murdered?

No, I had to shake those types of thoughts out of my head. Maya had me slip on some white flats and walked me out the door. "Let's go see what Raven looks like!" She squealed.

I nodded and we walked into Raven's room, prep room number 4.

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**Sorry this was so short, guys! I just... just typed it, actually. I just wanted to give you all something for Christmas! :D I hope you all liked it... and leave some comments about what you think Raven should be dressed in.**

**Alright, well... R&R! Seriously. Review. Please. If you like me, review. If you really hope that I don't get mac-and-cheese syndrome... reveiw.**

**Makes no sence, right? Well, I'm running on laganza and sprite. And a tangerine.**

**AND ITS MIDNIGHT.**

**ON CHRISTMAS. :DDDDDD**

**Yum.**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

**YOU CAN REVIEW NOW.**


	9. Chapter 9: From a Fairy Tale

**OH my GOODNESS I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER. DX Really, I am... alright. Read this chapter. Thanks!**

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_Chapter 9: From a Fairy Tale_

I walked slowly into prep room four and glanced around, looking for the tiny figure of Raven.

"Raven?" Maya called out, "Raven, are you in here?"

"Yeah!" came a curt reply, "Just a minute!"

Maya nodded and pointed at me, "The both of us kind of decided to make the both of you into…. Fairy tale like characters. You are the 'Good Witch', I suppose… and Raven… well… I guess that she would represent the 'Evil Queen'."

I looked confused and tilted my head a little bit to the left and raised one of my eyebrows, almost like a dog. I was just about to say something when I heard the door open and saw Raven stepped out. Let me tell you, reader. Maya was totally right when she used "Evil Queen" as an example. This chick looked downright evil…

Raven's hair was let loose and it reached halfway down her back. Her face was set with heavy makeup and dark, thick eyeliner. Her green eyes seemed like they were glowing, and her lips were tinted with dark red lipstick. Her dress was the darkest shade of black imaginable and it clung to her skin, shaping curves that I didn't know that she even had. It covered her knees, but just barely. It didn't matter much, because she wore black thigh high boots. Her nails were black with bright green flames and each of them rested on her hips. "So, does it look good?" Raven asked, pursing her lips.

Maya clapped, a look of complete awe glazing over her features, "This is amazing! Georgetta, Loretta, did you two girls do this?"

I heard giggling from behind two doors as the twins burst out, now in blue and gold dresses, "Yup!" They squealed together, "Do you like it Maya?"

Maya nodded and hugged the both of them, "You guys are amazing! Really!"

The three of them started to talk about different types of skin toner and how they thought they would look on the both of us, and I ended up blocking them up and walking over to Raven. "I like your outfit. It kinda suits you!"

Raven laughed and nodded in approval, "I like yours, too. It's really…. Innocent looking. I look like I'm going to pull out a wand and kill someone with it. I feel like the Evil Witch in 'Sleeping Beauty'."

"Sleeping Beauty?" I asked.

Raven looked at me, appalled. "You don't know what Sleeping Beauty is? Did you even have a childhood?"

I looked annoyed and crossed my arms, "Ha ha, very funny."

Raven sighed, and pushed the bangs out of her face. "Sleeping Beauty is about this girl who was cursed by a witch that she would die by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel when she was 16—"

I scoffed, "That sounds kinda stupid."

She glared at me and continued, "But these really nice three witches changed it to where she would only fall asleep for a long time—"

"Wait," I cut her off again, "Why didn't they just lift the spell from her? There's three of them and only one of the evil witch…."

Raven laughed, "Nikki! This is a children's story! Cut it some slack."

"Alright, fine." I shut my mouth and looked at her, expecting her to finish the story. Raven stayed quiet. "Aren't you going to finish the story?"

Raven shook her head, "You're obviously not interested. It's not that big of a deal anyways, I'll finish it at a different time. Just keep the suspense going, right?" Laughing, she turned her head to her stylist who was calling her name. She looked about 40 or so, kind of old, and looked as if she was trying to look young. It was obvious that she had had lots of plastic surgery to bring back wrinkles because her face was stretched. I suppressed a smirk and suddenly felt a tug on my arm. I whirled around and looked Maya, who smiled.

"Alright, sweetie. It's time for the both of you to get in your carriage-a-ma-bobber and ride out with the other teams."

I gulped as Raven and her stylist came over. Not soon after they appeared next to us, so did Fran and Chester, who was (as usual) playing with matches. Fran squealed and started to shower us in compliments, while Chester glanced up, nodded at us, and then went back to staring at the flames. Raven was blushing and so was I, I guess it was natural. I wasn't used to wearing things like this and I don't think that Raven was either. All the same, we looked dang good.

Maya finally got Fran calmed down and pulled the both of us behind her kinda like ducklings. We walked a while, going in room after room. Eventually, we met up with everyone in a huge stadium-looking-thing. When I say huge, I mean freaking HUGE. This thing was ginormous!

I saw Ali and Bella, along with their partners. Bella was dressed in a pink frilly dress, and Ali was dressed… well…. Like a stripper. It was clear that some of the stylists weren't very experienced, and just tried to make do with what they could. Ali's arms were crossed over hers stomach, trying to show was much stomach as she would usually. Neither of them saw me, and I didn't try to get their attention. I was going to look around for a while and see what my other friends were wearing when a loud noise came from the speakers all around us.

"Hello! Hello and welcome to the 1st ever Capital Hunger Games!" The announcer had a very deep voice that shook the carriages in front of us. "Each of your carriages has a number on it! IF you can remember your number for your members, go to each one with the numbers! Off we go. Good luck and may the odds…. Be ever in your favor!" The ending was sneered and we heard a loud POP, which said that they had disconnected.

I turned to Raven, "Do you remember our number?"

She nodded and held up four fingers, "We're four. The only carriage that looks like it came out of Cinderella—" She glanced at me and saw a confused expression on my face then face palmed, "forget it..."

I tossed my hands up in the air and shook my head. The only fairy tale story I have ever heard is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… don't blame me for my lack of knowledge on the subject.

Our carriage was shaped like half of a pumpkin, and the both of us climbed in. Fran walked up and gave us some pointers, like how to wave and stuff like that. We nodded and took every word to heart, neither of us wanting to do something wrong. Fran smiled and held our hands, "You girls are going to do amazing, I know it."

Raven gave a half smile, "Thanks, Fran."

Fran walked away and out of sight as I heard the sound of feet trotting. My heart started to race and my palms were sweating like crazy. I look at Raven who looked as calm as a cucumber. Her face was void of all expression, and I took a deep breath.

Our two white stallions trotted up to the massive doorway as I heard the announcer from before boom over the speakers, "And now presenting, Team four!"

I unclenched my hands from fists and wiped them on the skirt of my dress. I closed my eyes and tried to slow my heart rate. That's when it hit me.

Even though we weren't on the arena, and no one had died yet….

The Hunger Games – MY Hunger Games – had begun.

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**Okay, How'd ya like it? I am so so so so so so sorry that I haven't updated in over 3 months! I just... I don't know what happened. I guess I kinda forgot about this story. But, thats not happening anymore. I'm really exited to finally be getting into the actual arena part... heehee. Remember the begining of this story? Yup. Epicness. We have maybe... 4 more chapters before the actual games. I have to put in training and all... *sigh* still, YAY!**

**Alright. Update on my life: I just tried out for drama. I've become obssed about the healthynesss of my hair. (IT SMELLES REALLY GOOD AND IS REALLY SOFT RIGHT NOWWWWW...) and... yeah. That's all your gunna know. ;)**

**I'm sorry these are always so long. I just love talking about myself. *flips hair***

**Alright, now to my point... COMMENT! NOW! I would love you if you did. **(Bunnies 301: I know she's like Max. ;) She's also like me... I made her that way!)

**Love ya'll! Jaa ne!**

**~Ruby-san**


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